Latest Sightings.
If you have any sightings from the West Bay area, please
forward them to Tom.Brereton@marine-life.org.uk
Dr Tom Brereton, 12, St Andrews Road, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3BG
September |
October |
November |
more >> |
November 2008
28 November - - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 28 birds; 4 species; 0.5 hours including Siskin
26 November - - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 13 birds; 2 species; 0.75 hours
|
White-beaked Dolphin |
19 November - - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 3512 birds; 12 species; 1.25 hours including
11 White-fronted Geese, 3207 Wood Pigeon, 49 Skylark, 120 Starling, 68
Chaffinch and 4 Brambling.
16 November - Lyme Bay pelagic up to 46km SE of Lyme Regis 08:45-16:30
5 White-beaked Dolphin, 17 Gannet, 2 Common Scoter, 90 Guillemot, 6 Razorbill,
10 Kittiwake, 70 Herring Gull, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 12 Great Black-backed
Gull, 1 Great Skua and Fulmar.
Burton Freshwater, Burton Bradstock
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 692 birds; 6 species; 0.33 hours including Red-breasted
Merganser, 500 Wood Pigeon and 170 Starling.
15 November - Lyme Bay pelagic up to 46km SSE of Lyme Regis
09:00-15:30
Great Crested Grebe, 26 Gannet, Common Scoter, 44 Guillemot, 3 Razorbill,
22 Kittiwake, Yellow-legged Gull, 500 Herring Gull, 5 Lesser Black-backed
Gull, 145 Great Black-backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, 2 Great Skua and
6 Fulmar.
|
White-beaked Dolphin |
13 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 2564 birds; 19 species; 1.5 hours including 10
Raven, 13 Jackdaw, 6 Stock Dove, 1505 Wood Pigeon, Rock Pipit, 519 Starling,
420 Chaffinch and 4 Brambling.
12 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 5960 birds; 23 species; 2.5 hours including 292
Wood Pigeon, 3471 Starling, 1 Rock Pipit, 233 Skylark, 137 Meadow Pipit,
7 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing, 4 Blackbird, 3 Mistle Thrush, 4 Song Thrush, 1407
Chaffinch, 187 Greenfinch, 17 Brambling, 5 Yellowhammer, 3 Redpoll, 8
Reed Bunting and 10 Siskin.
9 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 9 birds; 3 species; 0.5 hours including 4 Redwing
7 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 191 birds; 9 species; 0.75 hours including Snipe
6 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 227 birds; 12 species; 1 hours including Brambling
and 2 Redpoll.
5 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 3027 birds; 23 species; 2.5 hours including Great
Spotted Woodpecker, 33 Stock Dove, 6 Woodlark, 110 Skylark, 2 Swallow,
8 Song Thrush, 11 Redwing, 13 Fieldfare, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Blackbird,
916 Starling, 6 Woodlark, 1125 Chaffinch, 443 Goldfinch, 15 Brambling,
273 Linnet, Yellowhammer and Lapland Bunting.
4 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 761 birds; 19 species; 1 hour including Sparrowhawk,
Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, Rock Pipit, 14 Long-tailed Tit, Brambling, Corn
Bunting and 74 Goldfinch.
3 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 778 birds; 13 species; 0.75 hours including 294
Chaffinch, 10 Brambling, Sniper, Kestrel, 13 Siskin, Redpoll and 62 Goldfinch.
2 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 58 birds; 8 species; 0.75 hours including Yellowhammer
and Grey Wagtail.
1 November - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 2674 birds; 26 species; 2.8 hours including
Red Kite (drifted west, thought to be a different bird
to yesterday), Merlin, 2 Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Golden Plover,
394 Wood Pigeon, 55 Redwing, Blackbird, 7 Song Thrush, 984 Starling, 3
Woodlark, 4 Swallow, 33 Meadow Pipit, 801 Chaffinch, 2 Brambling, 45 Siskin,
31 Redpoll, 159 Goldfinch, 60 Linnet, 53 Greenfinch and 11
House Sparrow.
October 2008
|
Red Kite |
31 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 9433 birds; 32 species; 3 hours including
Red Kite (drifted east, mobbed by crows), 2 Sparrowhawk, 13 Lapwing,
6 Stock Dove, 3913 Wood Pigeon, 12 Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird,
4 Fieldfare, 17 Song Thrush, 2219 Starling, 431 Skylark, 3 Woodlark, 2
Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, 37 Meadow Pipit, 2091 Chaffinch, 18 Brambling,
16 Siskin, 6 Redpoll, 256 Goldfinch, 132 Linnet, 89 Greenfinch, 4 House
Sparrow and Tree Sparrow.
30 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: ~28,750 birds; 9 species; 1.25 hours
including 27,500 Starling*, 450 Redwing, 300 Song Thrush, Fieldfare,
200++ unidentified thrushes, 200 Wood Pigeon, 50 Chaffinch, 5 Lapwing,
30 Skylark, 5 Meadow Pipit and 1 Siskin.
|
Starlings |
* A remarkable movement of Starlings today - the best for several years, with 24,000 birds in one hour alone. The birds were teaming through in a westerly direction at a rate of knots on a broad front, blackening the sky at times particularly over Bridport. More birds were seen over the day from casual observations. Perhaps 50,000 or even 100,000+ Starlings passed through today.
29 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 6497 birds; 19 species; 2 hours including
4787 Wood Pigeon, 45 Rook, 9 Brambling, 655 Chaffinch, 2 Golden
Plover, Redwing, 168 Skylark, 75 Jackdaw, 3 Swallow, 500 Starling, 93
Meadow Pipit, 3 Siskin, 4 Redpoll and Blackbird.
28 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 3906 birds; 25 species; 2.5 hours including
Merlin, Corn Bunting, 23 Brambling, 9 Redwing, 876 Skylark, 1349 Chaffinch,
2 Golden Plover, 2 Lapwing, 151 Jackdaw, 2 Mistle Thrush, 7 Raven, 2 Stock
Dove, 747 Wood Pigeon, 377 Starling, 148 Meadow Pipit, 14 Siskin, 2 Redpoll
and Blackbird
27 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 1540 birds; 19 species; 1.75 hours including
2 Fieldfare, 3 Brambling, 263 Skylark, 785 Chaffinch, 11 Siskin, 11 Redpoll,
19 Reed Bunting, 176 Starling, 2 Yellowhammer, 4 House Sparrow, 4 Blackbird
and Swallow.
|
Meadow Pipit |
25 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 300 birds; 10 species; 0.75 hours including
130 Linnet and 3 Siskin.
24 October - Lyme Bay pelagic
Arctic Skua seen from a fishing boat 3km south of West Bay
West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 2697 birds; 25 species; 2.5 hours including
Crossbill, Bullfinch, 2 Brambling, Yellowhammer, House Sparrow, 171 Skylark,
847 Starling, 105 Meadow Pipit, 1156 Chaffinch, 105 Greenfinch, 82 Siskin,
6 Redpoll, 9 Reed Bunting, 55 Linnet, 69 Wood Pigeon, 27 alba Wagtail,
3 Grey Wagtail, Redwing, 5 Song Thrush, 6 Swallow and 4 Blackbird.
22 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 1335 birds; 19 species; 1.75 hours including
47 Skylark, 90 Meadow Pipit, 633 Chaffinch, 192 Greenfinch, 33 Siskin,1
Redpoll, 11 Reed Bunting, 163 Starling, 95 Linnet, 28 alba Wagtail, Great
Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing, Song Thrush, Swallow and 2 Blackbird.
17 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 5813 birds; 24 species; 3.75 hours including
Woodlark, 1894 Skylark, 786 Meadow Pipit, 1309 Chaffinch, 441 Greenfinch,
266 Jackdaw, 125 Siskin, 7 Brambling, 17 Redpoll, 31 Reed Bunting, 195
Starling, 395 Linnet, 290 alba Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing,
Song Thrush, Yellowhammer and 5 Blackbird. Very unusually the intensity
of migration never slowed down (for any species) as the day wore on and
birds were still moving in similar numbers to dawn 11:30 when the watch
/counting ended. Movements still evident when a brief return visit was
made at 13:00-13:15.
16 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 428 birds; 13 species; 0.33 hours including 280
Chaffinch, 77 Greenfinch and 4 Blackbird.
Most likely the biggest bird movement of the autumn today, but only 20
minutes of effort possible
|
White-beaked Dolphin |
14 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 463 birds; 15 species; 1.5 hours including Dartford
Warbler, Rock Pipit, 2 Brambling, 24 Siskin, 302 Chaffinch, 65 Greenfinch,
5 Blackbird and a possible Penduline Tit (heard only)
12 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 280 birds; 16 species; 1.25 hours including Merlin,
78 Jackdaw, 4 Blackbird, and 2 Yellowhammer.
|
Great Skua |
11 October - Lyme Bay Pelagic up to 45km SW of West Bay. 10:45-18:20
2 Harbour Porpoise, 2 White-beaked Dolphin, 30 Great Skua, Arctic Skua,
Puffin, 10 Guillemot, 7 Kittiwake, 9 Fulmar, 336 Black Headed Gull, 225
Great Black-backed Gull, 245 Herring Gull, 3 lesser black-backed Gulls,
3 unidentified gulls.
10 October - West Bay
SEAWATCH: Sandwich Tern
9 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 770 birds; 19 species; 1.5 hours including 3
Brambling, 13 Redpoll, 10 Siskin, 68 Skylark, 4 Mistle Thrush, Dunnock
and 54 alba Wagtail.
|
Leach's Petrel |
8 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 398 birds; 16 species; 1 hour including 124 Chaffinch,
7 Carrion Crow, Yellowhammer, Jay and 5 Blackbird.
6 October - West Cliff, West Bay
VISIBLE MIGRATION COUNT: 641 birds; 12 species; 1 hour including Redwing,
334 Meadow Pipit, and Redpoll.
5 October - West Bay
SEAWATCH: Leach's Storm-petrel, Balearic Shearwater, European Storm-petrel,
Arctic Skua and 18 Common Scoter.
September 2008
29th September - West Bay, Dorset
Visible migration count 07:30-09:00
250 birds of 13 species including Redpoll, 52 Goldfinch,
24 Chaffinch and 33 Siskin. Also an
Arctic Skua offshore.
26th September - West Bay, Dorset
Visible migration count 07:30-09:00
~900 birds of 17 species including 2 Redpoll, 6 Skylark,
Reed Bunting, 132 Linnet and 2 Tree
Pipit. Also a Yellow Browed Warbler nearby.
|
Bottlenose Dolphin |
24th September - West Bay, Dorset
Visible migration count 07:50-08:20
496 birds of 6 species including 289 House Martin and
176 Meadow Pipit.
19th September - West Bay, Dorset
Visible migration count 08:00-09:00
592 birds of 12 species including 380 House Martin, 110
Swallow, 5 Siskin and Tree Pipit.
Also 2 Bottlenose Dolphin present for much of the day
off the East Beach.
17th September - West Bay, Dorset
An influx of shoaling fish attracted 25 Common Tern
|
Common Tern |
15th September - West Bay, Dorset
Visible migration count 08:00-09:00
771 birds of 10 species including 580 Swallow, 3 Skylark,
and 8 Yellow Wagtail. Also 7 Spotted Flycatcher,
Whinchat, 7 Common Tern and Little Gull
14th September - Lyme Bay Pelagic, Dorset
5km East of Portland Bill from an Angling Boat
Grey Phalarope
13th September - Lyme Bay Pelagic, Dorset
2km off Chesil Beach, east of Portland Bill
Grey Phalarope 2
West Bay, Dorset
Visible migration count 08:00-10:00
1,462 birds of 19 species including Tawny Pipit, Woodlark,
Crossbill, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit (moving overland),
Hobby, Mistle Thrush, 1,084 Meadow Pipit,
11 Tree Pipit, 10 Grey Wagtail, 94 Siskin,
11 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Yellow Wagtail,
6 alba Wagtail, 7 Linnet, 136 Swallow,
68 House Martin, 14 Goldfinch, 12 House
Sparrow and 6 Collared Dove
|
Sabine's Gull |
12th September - West Bay, Dorset
Visible migration count 08:15-09:15
2 Crossbill, 17 Meadow Pipit,
1 Tree Pipit, 17 Grey Wagtail, 42 Siskin,
3 Yellow Wagtail, 237 House Martin,
40 Swallow, 13 Linnet, 2 Chaffinch,
2 alba Wagtail and 10 Goldfinch
10th September - West Bay, Dorset
Red-throated Diver flew east
9th September. West Bay, Dorset
Seawatch 16:45-17:15
5 Arctic Skua, 2 Shag, 3 Arctic
Tern, 3 Sandwich Tern
West Bay, Dorset
Pied Flycatcher
7/8th September, Lyme Regis
Sabine's Gull, Grey Phalarope and Mediterranean
Gull
|
Grey Phalarope |
5 September 2008 - West Bay Dorset, 08:55-10:15
Juvenile Grey Phalarope lingering on the sea off the
West Beach seafront 30-80m out from 09:49-10:00 at least
Also Balearic Shearwater, 2 juvenile Little Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern, 147 Gannet, 3 Sanderling, 5 Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper.
Registered Charity No. 1110884
Copyright of Marinelife 2008